Snath



y 1931- A. .71. GIBBONS 1,807,573

SNATH I Filed July 5, 1929 Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED :STATES PATENT? OFFICE ARTHUR J". GIBBONS, F NEAR INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 LOUISA D. GIBBONS, OF CAMBY, INDIANA SNATH Application filed July 5, 1329. Serial No. 376,028.

This invention relates to the art of snaths, and has for its primary objects the provision of a practically indestructible handle for scythes, and the provision of means for attaching the scythe to the snath in a positive manner that will retain the scythe in a fixed position as opposed to the means heretofore employed where the scythe was obliged to be attached to the wooden snath.

Other objects reside in the extreme simplicity and in the low cost of production of the invention, and in the fact that balance of the snath may be obtained by forming the metal to the required curvature therefor and that the balance may be retained as opposed to the heretofore commonly employed wooden snath which changed shape after its manufacture. These and other objects will become apparent in the following description of the invention as made in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a snath embodying my invention with a scythe attached thereto;

Fig. 2, a side elevation of the snath;

Fig. 3, a bottom plan view of the lower end of the snath on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4, a vertical section on the line 44 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5, a transverse vertical section on the line 55 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6, a section taken on the same line as that ofFig. 5 but showing a modified scythe attaching means;

Fig. 7, a similar view to that of Figs. 5 and 6 showing a still modified form of the scythe attaching means; and

Fig. 8, a section on the line 88 in Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

In place of the heretofore costly wooden snath, I form a snath 10 from a length of flat bar metal to have its lower end presented substantially horizontally to the ground when in use and on the rear side provide a downturned lug 11 against which the heel of the v scythe 12 bears. The scythe 12 is constructed in the usual manner to have the blade 13 and the tang 14 with the upwardly turned tongue 15. The snath is formed to have a hole therethrough 'into'which the tongue 15 may enter, Fig. 4.

Preferably the scythe is retained on the snath in a removable position by drilling a hole through the upper end of the tang and passing a bolt 16 through the snath and the hole in the tang and securing the parts thereto by drawing the nut 17 up tightly on the bolt 16. In addition to the bolt 16 other 7 securing means may be employed such as the U-bolt 18, Figs. 1, 3 and 5, which passes around the tang 14 and through the ears 19 and 20 of the snath to have the nuts 21 and 22 screw-threadedly engaging the ends on the opposite side thereof. In place of the U-bolt 18, a ring 23 may be slipped over the snath and a set screw 34 screW-threadedly passed through the under side of the ring to compressively engage against the tang 14. Also in place of the ring 23 an open ring 25 may be employed to engage around the snath and the tang and be drawn together by the bolt 26.

The snath 10 is given a twist, Figs. 1 and 2 to bring the upper portion around substantially perpendicular to the ground when in use and on this upper end the handles 27 and 28 are attached by means of bolts 29 passing from the handles through the snath 10, whereby the handles may be drawn up tightly against the fiat surface and thereby be prevented from slipping about the snath. Where the snath is made of light metal a brace 30 is employed to stiffen the lower curved section. The curvature of the snath is such that when the handles 27 28 are in the operators hands, the weight of the scythe is balanced about those handles so that there is no tendency of the snath to rotate. This balance once obtained, it is apparent, will remain, as opposed to the heretofore commonly employed Wooden snath which tends to spring back to a straight line.

The snath is operated in the usual well known manner with the scythe 12 being attached and detached as is apparent from the foregoing description of the means which may be employed to retain it on the snath. 10o

I claim:

1. A snath comprising a length of relatively flat bar metal having a. scythe attaching end and a handle end, said bar having a r twist therein whereby the flat face of said handle end is angularly disposed in relation to the face of said scythe end.

2. A snath comprising a length of bar metal rectangular in cross section having a scythe attaching end and a handle end, said bar having a twist therein whereby the wider face of said handle end is angularly disposed in relation to the face of said scythe end, and a brace across said twist.

3. A snath comprising a length of relatively flat bar metal having a scythe attaching end and a handle end, said bar having a twist therein whereby the face of said handle end is angnlarly disposed in relation to the fiat face of said scythe end, and a lug turned from the back edge of the snath at the scythe end, said snath having a hole therein spaced upwardly from the lug.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ARTHUR J. GIBBONS. 

